I have a dead pheasant and I have taken some feathers from it and put them in the freezer, my question is how long do I need to keep them in the freezer to ensure they are then bug free . . ( I hope this is the right forum to put this question onto). Jack . . .

put them in for a week and then zap them for short bursts in the microwave. if not entirely happy repeat the process in freezer and microwave again.

cheers

burhan

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Only a couple of hours at the most. As long as all are frozen those bugs ain't cumin back to life.

The hard bit is keeping new bugs off them

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No harm will be done if you leave them in the freezer, I usually leave them in there a week or so. With the wings, I pin them to a board and leave them dry for a week or so, then freeze them to kill the bugs. I find it easier to use the feathers when the wings have been prepared like this.

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I have never frozen or microwaved a single feather I have got direct from the bird. I have pheasant, partridge, duck and jay feathers, some of which I have had for years, all in perfect condition for tying flies.

What bugs are we talking about? Ones that eat feathers? Funny we don't see many bald pheasants running around after having had all their feathers eaten away.

Ticks and mites...you don't want a dose of them in your house!

Thanks for all the advice about frozen pheasants . . Jack

I'd like to know this too. I have had feathers stored outside, up the loft, in bags for years, and never experienced a deterioration through infestation. I just can't understand what all the fuss is about.

Cooking feathers in the microwave must be harmful to the feathers though.

As a keen shootist I have had one or two bird on the kitchen table and also kept a few feathers.
Most birds are very clean indeed, some have a few mites and fleas. The only time I have seen infestation on a bird is when the bird was ill.
As soon as the bird dies the bugs are off looking for a new home so you have more in the game bag than in the kitchen.
Problem is with all this traffic the ones jumping ship may find your tying stock and attempt to set up home. Not likely they will stay but who wants a desk full of homeless bugs.
I say feathers only, a couple of hours in the freezer. Wings etc, a day and then a good dry out before storage.
And if you keep bringing warm uns into the house for plucking etc keep them away from your tying desk.

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You must be lucky!

I've had larvae eat through the sides of the polythene on zip seal bags they were trapped in. It looked as though they were munching on the polythene too! Tracks of around 3mm wide and over an inch long. That was shop bought Peacock Herl. (moths I reckon, pupal skins were in the bag)

Recently...two, three weeks ago, I pulled out a £50 jungle cock cape bought from a reputable supplier (often praised/recommended on here) and noticed dust in the bottom corner of the zip seal bag. Knowing the signs I immediately looked closely..sure enough, infested with mites!! Now this cape was purchased around April 2011. These mites had taken all that time to reveal themselves.

Nothing else was infected and the bag was sealed. I froze the cape in the bag for a few days then microwaved it in short bursts of 10 secs. I always thought freezing was enough but was assured that some bugs can cope with minus temperatures in egg/larvae form.

I can't say there's any difference to the feathers regarding damage.